“My name is Abigail Grace Walker It’s a pleasure to meet you dear Sir” “It is indeed a pleasure to meet you too young lady” My name dear Abigail is Joseph William Barnes” “I hope dear that I do not intrude on you and if I say anything that upsets you please let me know. Mr Barnes smiles down at me in reply Talking to strangers and getting to know them is something I love to do. People are beautiful and you seem like a beautiful young lady” I was born and raised in Wetaskiwin Alberta and I was the grandson of Arthur Charles Barnes and Rose Jackson Barnes both Canadian emigrants of Gloucester England who emigrated to Wetaskiwin Alberta many years ago. My father opened up his own meat packing company there and they both were prosperous until of coarse there death. I am a only child and my father and mother both died in a terrible car accident when I was only two. I hardly knew them”. “Joseph sadly bowed his head” Now what about you young lady.”

I went on to tell Mr. Joseph William Barnes my whole life story and how my seamstress mother made hats and mits and sweaters for the homeless and dropped them off once a year right before winter started and all of a sudden the train blew its horn letting all of us know it was leaving Banff. We were on our way to beautiful British Columbia and soon I would be leaving my home province of Alberta. Even though we have a little bit of the great Rocky Mountain here. There is nothing compared to beautiful British Columbia and we were on our way. We sure started off having nice conversation. He was such a nice and humble and gentle man. I was actually falling in love with his personality and spirit. I had never came across a more wonderful soul in my life. He went on to tell me that he was unmarried and that marriage was just something not for him and then I went on to tell him that I was an only child too and how it took years to just have their only child who was me.

Then we suddenly after fourty five minutes of travelling down the great train rail of the Alberta Rockies we finally were moving over the border to gorgeous British Columbia. As we travelled along the great Canadian Rail we finally came to the area known as the Kicking Horse Pass and we went into the great spiral mountain tunnels and all was black for a certain amount of seconds and then the great horn of the Rocky Mountaneer blew as we saw light once again as we came out of the tunnel located on Catheredral Mountain and we continued on down the Great Continental Divide. We went past some of the most beautiful canyons to be seen and saw rushing waterfalls and rivers and some of the most gorgeous scenery to be seen in all of Canada. Both me and Mr Barnes marvelled at how beautiful it was to travel on the great Rocky Mountaineer

As me and Mr Joseph Williams Barnes travelled on through the glorious Rocky Mountains and the continental divide and toward Kamloops British Columbia our next stop on our way to bustering beautiful city of Vancouver. Our relationship was getting even more deeper as the sound of the train clicking and clacking against the CN rail grew on. I suddenly remember a story to tell dear Joseph. As I told him the story of how my parents took years and years to just have me and that’s why I was so grateful for them. However my father had a serious friendship that lasted years with a fellow who worked with him on CN Rail and I went on to tell him my fathers retirement with CN Rail but unfortunately retirement was not the end story for his best friend that he knew since first grade. “His name dear Joseph was Henery Alexander Ruthenburg.”

Terriblely one cold and wintry night just when they were stopped outside Banff a student worker got off the engine and forgot to apply the brake and Henery was checking something right in front of the engine and that’s when the wheels just kicked in and ran over my fathers best friend. With both of them teaching at the time. My father knew as soon as he was killed they were parshly to blame for the terrible tragedy. He knew they could of tought him better. My father thou was devastated beyond relief. Henery so very much wanted to hold the child they were dreaming to have one day. That’s when I looked up at Mr Joseph Williams Barnes and noticed tears pouring out of his eyes. He took a hold of my cheek and looked at my sea blue eyes and my pixie blonde hair and said the words. You are a beautiful young lady dear never forget that. My father had been so traumatized over the years about it. His stories about him would warm my whole world and soul. Perhaps I would get to meet him one day. Mr Joseph Williams Barns words to me also warmed my soul. As much as my fathers stories would. I did not have any siblings and theses stories my father told me of his friend were precious to me.
© PatriciaAnne